Learning English

Written communications

Reason
Even in a
Before you get the opportunity to
supposedly
electronic be interviewed, the chances are
world, we still there'll be some sort of paperwork
can't seem to to be done.
exist without Objective
paper. To make sure all of your written
communications make a positive
impression.

Doing it

So, how do you make a good

impression on paper?

Mainly by using an important

advantage of writing - it's slow.
Which means you have the time to
get it right before you send it.

^^Back up

Application Forms
Application forms are mostly there
to gather facts, and don't give you
much chance to say things in your
own way. But from your point of
view their main purpose is to get
you an interview. Remember that
someone going through the form
will still make judgements about
you if, for example, it's untidy or
difficult to read.

TIP (If you have to complete a form

by hand, you make life easier for a
reader if you use capital letters,
especially when you have small
handwriting.)

Sometimes, however, there's a

space on the form for you to write
freely -asking you "Why did you
apply for this job?", perhaps, or
"What were your favourite subjects
at school?". This is where you have
the opportunity to write something
that's targeted at this particular set
of readers, so don't miss out.
WARNING

If the choice is left to you, always

list things on the form (eg exams
passed, work experience obtained)
with the most recent one first. The
past is not as important to a
potential employer as the present.
TIP WARNING TIP

^^Back up

Letters
 The application form may need to
be accompanied by a letter. Or
even before that, you might have to
write to ask for an application form.

Sometimes, too, you could be

asked to write a letter simply for an
employer to see how well you
communicate on paper.

As far as language is concerned,

there's no need to use the old-
fashioned phrases that used to be
part of business writing. But a
business letter is still formal
writing. So there's no place for the
slang of speech or the chattiness
we use with our friends.

There should be a logical structure -

going from why you're writing
through to the main content and
ending by looking towards what
happens next - such as "I look
forward to hearing if you would like
me to come for an interview."
WARNING TIP

^^Back up

email

There are several stages in the

selection process where you might
be able to use email, from asking
for an application form to
confirming an appointment. And
even in business, this has become a
much less formal way of
communicating than by letter.
But there are exceptions, and one is
when the person writing hasn't met
the person at the other end. That's
likely to be the case for you - which
means that the more formal
conventions of a letter - for
example - "Dear Mr Smith", are
safer than the jargon and short-
cuts we might use with friends -
such as 'CU' for 'See you', and '4'
instead of 'for').

Application forms
Remember you'll probably be asked very similar
questions at an interview - and your answers
should be about the same as the ones you wrote
down - possibly weeks before. So take a copy of
the completed form if you can - and certainly
make a note of anything you write answering
questions which don't simply have facts as
answers.

Application forms
You may sometimes be given the choice to write
more than the form gives you space for -
something like "Use an additional sheet of paper
if necessary". If you do, don't rely on their
efficiency in keeping all your papers together.
Write a title on the separate sheet, saying what
it is, and that it's part of your application form.
That way it has much less chance of being lost.

Application forms
Any list of activities with dates should have no
gaps in it. If you were backpacking somewhere
for three months, rather than working, it's better
to say so. Otherwise people can draw the wrong
conclusions about a time period you've chosen to
leave out.

Application forms
These days, filling in an application form can
often be done on-line. That could lose you the
advantage of having time to put things in the
best way. It might well be better to print off a
copy of the form so you have time to think about
it.

Letters
Sometimes a job advert will give you a name to
write to. Fine if it's, say, Michael Brown or Anne
Carter. Then you know you can use Mr. or Mrs.
But what if it's M. Brown, or Alex Carter - or it
just says 'write to the Human Resources
Manager'? If you can, ring up and ask, so that
you can write Mr Brown or Ms Carter as
appropriate.
You can start the letter "Dear Sir or Madam"- but
that really should be a last choice.
Letters
The most important aspect of a letter's
appearance is that it should look as if someone's
taken care over it. So be tidy, check for mistakes
and arrange the letter clearly. For example, a
few short paragraphs should be in the middle of
the page, not crammed in at the top with a lot of
white space at the bottom. Remember that
helpful saying: you don't get a second chance to
make a first impression.

Learning English

Telephoning

Reason:
In the age of
You will often have telephone
mobile phones,
everyone thinks contact with a company before an
they know how interview. Some companies will
to use the even assess these phone calls as
phone. But not part of the selection process.
necessarily...
Objective:
To leave a positive impression, of
someone who's capable and
efficient.

The basic problem

Lots of research shows that the

biggest impact in spoken-word
communication is visual. Some
researchers say it's as much as
three-quarters of the total. Yet on
the phone we don't have any of
that. Our voice has to do all the
work.

If we want people at the other end

to form a good impression of us, we
need to give more thought to
business phone calls than we do
when we're just chatting to our
friends.
TIP

^^Back up

Your calling them

There are two main possibilities.
 The job advert asks you to
ring the company for an
application form.
 Or, usually a little later in
the process, you have to
ring up and arrange a time
for an interview.

Either of these cases can be entirely

straightforward - just a matter of
getting a small administrative task
done. But depending on who you
speak to, there could also be
questions of a sort you wouldn't
otherwise expect until you fill in the
application form or go for an
interview.

These could be either factual -

"what's your educational
background?" - or human - "what
interested you particularly about
this job?"

It makes sense to be prepared

before you make the call, just as
you would before an interview.

For more information on factual and

human questions, see Work skills -
Being interviewed.

WARNING TIP TIP

^^Back up

Their calling you

 The main difficulty here is not
knowing who a call is from until
you've picked up the phone. That
means that each call ought to be
treated as if it's a business call until
you find out otherwise.

So, for example, don't let it ring for

too long, and then answer either
with the number or your name. Just
‘hello' might be OK for your friends,
but business people expect more
information when someone picks up
the phone.

You also want to keep a pen and

paper close to the phone. It's not
very impressive if you have to say:
"Can you hold on a moment while I
just get something to write with?"
WARNING TIP TIP

The basic problem

Most people find it easier - both physically and
psychologically - to talk on the phone when
they're standing up. One of the reasons is that
they're more likely to use body and arm
movements - or at least the arm not holding the
phone! - in the same way they would in face-to-
face conversation. And that extra emphasis will
carry over into the voice - and down the phone
line.

Your calling them

Sometimes a job advert will just give a telephone
number to ring, but often there'll be a name to
ask for. It can be difficult to know if the person
you are to call is male or female. Don't risk
upsetting someone by asking to speak to "Mr" or
"Ms", and getting it wrong. Say the name exactly
as it's written down, and listen for the reply.

Your calling them

Many people in companies answer the phone
using a standard in-house set of words. Often
they're so familiar with them that the words are
spoken very fast, and these could include the
name of the person speaking. So be ready to
note it down, because it won't seem very
professional if you have to ask later "I'm sorry,
what was your name again?" If you must ask
that, ask it immediately.

Your calling them

When you ring a company, good telephone
technique is for them to tell a caller who they're
being transferred to. But if you don't get told, try
to ask, anyway, before you're transferred.
Otherwise you'll need to listen very carefully -
since after an internal transfer, the next words
you're likely to hear are the name(s) of the
person picking up the phone.

Their calling you

The other person's name is likely to be among
the first words spoken. If you don't catch it, ask
for it again immediately - and note it down.

Their calling you

Just as business people can be in a meeting
when you call, so you could have a reason for
not being able to take a call at precisely the
moment the phone rings. But it should be you
who offers to ring back - and you should give a
time estimate, and keep to it, such as: "Can I
ring you back in ten minutes?"

Their calling you

A telephone call with a possible employer also
gives you an opportunity to assess how
business-like they are. After all, you don't know
yet if this is where you want to end up working.
So how good is the impression they make on
you? Do they sound interested? Are they polite?
Are they helpful? Do they leave you hanging on a
long time? Do they tell you who you're talking
to?

Learning English

Presentations
 Reason:
It's worth The selection process can include
learning the having to give a short presentation.
skills of giving
That's most likely when
a presentation,
anyway. They communication is an important part
often come in of a job. But it may also simply be
handy. a way of comparing one candidate
with another.

Objective:
To show that you can present in a
competent and confident way.

Doing it

So what do 'competent' and

'confident' mean in this case? They
mean being able to put together a
presentation so that it's easy to
follow, and to deliver that
presentation so that it's easy to
listen to.

The key to this is preparation.

^^Back up

Preparation
 It's difficult to give a good
Being prepared impression if you're not sure about
means thinking what you're going to say. And that
about who's
thinking beforehand includes
going to be
listening to creating a structure that's logical -
your especially for the people in front of
presentation, you, who are hearing what you're
how it will be saying for the first time.
structured and
what practical
considerations It's also easier to sound
there might be. enthusiastic, which suggests
confidence, if you're able to put in
something from your direct
experience. Where you've been,
what you've done, how you felt,
why you made a certain decision -
all of those make straightforward
facts more interesting.
TIP WARNING

Thinking about the audience

In the case of getting a job, the
audience is mainly interested in
how well you present. But what you
say is still important. It's easy when
we're talking about a favourite
subject to get too involved.
Listening is easier if they don't have
a struggle understanding what
you're talking about.
EXAMPLE

Thinking about the structure

It may seem obvious that a
presentation should have a
beginning, a middle and an end.
But it's surprising how many
presenters ignore that simple rule.

 The beginning should

introduce the subject and
give a brief idea of what's to
come, like chapter headings.
 The middle should be those
chapter headings in more
detail - three will usually be
more than enough in a short
presentation.
 The end is what the
audience will remember
most easily. So it should be
a summary, not of
everything that's gone
before but of the main idea
running through it - why you
enjoy playing a musical
instrument, for example, or
 Delivery

The aim here is to be as natural as

possible, rather than to act. But
presenting is still an artificial
situation, so there are some points
you need to be aware of

Voice
Speaking softly, particularly at the
end of sentences, is seen as a sign
of nervousness - and is also
irritating if it makes what you say
difficult to hear. When you practise,
make sure you aren't swallowing
any words.

Body
If you're standing up, lots of small
movements will make you look
nervous. Once you're in a
comfortable position, facing the
audience, let your head and your
hands do the moving.

Hands
Difficult though it sounds, the best
advice is to forget your hands. (We
don't think about them in
conversation, after all.) If you
ignore them, your hands will do
what they normally do - match your
voice to provide emphasis for
important words.
TIP

Eye contact
You're talking to the audience, not
to your notes. So you need to look
up as much as possible - and look
around, so that everyone feels
you're speaking to them personally.
TIP

Preparation
You may get told what the subject of the
presentation is to be. But if the choice is yours,
go for something that (a) you know a lot about -
that will make you more confident, and (b) has
nothing directly to do with the job you're
applying for - which shows that you have a broad
range of interests.
Preparation
If you aren't told how long the presentation
should be, keep it short. You may find your
hobby or interest fascinating, but it doesn't
follow that everyone will. If you aim for five or
six minutes, it will force you to select only the
most relevant points. If an audience is
interested, they can always ask questions
afterwards.

Thinking about your audience

 Who are they - age, sex, nationality,
position, education - and so what are they
likely to know about your subject?
 How much do they know about you - does
your connection to the subject need to be
explained?
 Are there any complex ideas, specialist
words, abbreviations or sets of initials
that they might not understand?

 Are you planning to say anything where

they might have a different opnion to
you? (If so, can you give a reason for
your view?)

Preparation
Numbers can be difficult to listen to, especially if
there are a lot of them. If your presentation can't
avoid them, try firstly to cut down the total, and
then to say the ones remaining in ways that are
easily understood. So, for example, instead of
23.84%, use 'a quarter' or '1 in every 4'.

Preparation
The point about a presentation is that it's one-
way - rather than two-way, like a conversation.
That's an advantage - it lets you say all you want
before anyone else says anything. To make the
most of that, don't ask the audience questions.
For example, if you're talking about diving, don't
ask: "Has anyone ever done any diving?" You
don't want someone to answer: "Yes, and I hated
it"! Make statements instead: "Diving is an
amazing experience".
Delivery
Don't keep anything in your hands, such as notes
or a pen. You're likely to fiddle around with
them, which will be distracting.

Delivery
It's easier to make a presentation standing up
than sitting down. But you may not know before
you get there which the audience wants -
especially if there are only a handful of people.
That means being ready for either sitting or
standing. In particular, you'll probably have to
make more of an effort to keep eye contact when
you're sitting.

Learning English

Being Interviewed

Reason:
Interview skills
This is a key part of the selection
are as
important for process. However good you appear
getting a job as on paper, it’s how you present
they are for yourself in person, how you answer
getting into those interview questions, that’s
college or likely to be decisive in your
university.
success.

Objective:
To prove that you’re the best
person for the job.

Doing it

So, how can you be the BEST, the

person who gets the job?

Through PREPARATION: Finding

out about the company, the job,
and then thinking about and
planning how you're going to
answer those interview questions

^^Back up
Interview Questions
 There have been interviews as long
as there have been jobs needing to
be filled. This means that virtually
any question you might be asked at
an interview can be predicted and
an answer prepared.
WARNING

Factual questions
You'll find that
Testing out the information written
most questions
fall into two on your application form or trying
categories: to find out more information about
factual & areas that the interviewer is
human. concerned about or wants to know
more about.
EXAMPLE TIP

Human questions
Trying to identify what type of
person you are. Often the questions
start 'why' (why did you decide to
study those subjects?) or 'what'
(what do you see yourself doing in
five years' time?). They deal with
matters of personal preference,
attitude and opinion.
EXAMPLE TIP

Open questions
These
Why do you think you'll like working
questions are
asked in one of here?
two ways - EXAMPLES WARNING
open or
closed. Closed questions
Good interviewers
generally only
Do you think you'll like working
use open here?
questions. EXAMPLES
^^Back up

The Bad Interviewer

If you're faced with an interviewer

who's not particularly good, you
need to take control. Listen to the
audio if you want to hear the
technique for handling closed
questions.

Bad response - Too short

Bad response - Too long

Good response

^^Back up
 The end of the interview

This is your chance to show how

Don't just think
much you're interested in the
about the job,
think about the company and to find out if the job
advert. is really as interesting as it seems.

There's normally something that

you're not sure about, so ask away.

But, and this is a big BUT, don't ask

questions for the sake of it.
EXAMPLE

Interview questions
Being prepared doesn't mean memorising an
exact set of answers. A question only has to be
asked in a slightly unexpected way, and you
won't be able to answer the way you planned.
What you need to do is think about all the
questions you might be asked. Then you won't
be taken by surprise - and so won't seem less
confident because you hesitate when you
answer.

Factual questions
These questions aim to:
 check your educational background
 get more information about your
interests, hobbies and non-educational
experience

 find out what you were doing during 'time

gaps', such as between school and
university, or between jobs.

Factual questions
Keep copies of all the paperwork you've sent in.
It'll help you remember what you wrote, so that
you can say the same thing in the interview. You
can often tell what questions they might ask
looking at what you wrote. In the same way,
note what you said in any phone call.

Human questions
These question aim to find out you will fit in to
the job and the workplace. So think about what
job you're trying to get:
 Will it require knowledge you haven't got
yet? If so, be ready to explain your
willingness and ability to learn or be
trained

 Does it involve talking to people or

working in groups? Then an interviewer
may want to find out about your
interpersonal skills.

More open questions

What experience have you had of this sort of
work?
What sports do you play?
What was in the advert that you found
interesting?
Why do you think you could do this job?

Open questions
Beware! Some open questions can sound like
closed ones:

"'Would you tell me a little more about your last

job?"

You don't just say YES or NO to this - The

interviewer is really asking you to tell him or her
about your last job. They just asked a bad
(closed) question.

More closed questions

Have you done much work of this sort before?
Do you play any sports?
Did you apply for the job because the advert was
interesting?
Do you believe you can do this job?

End of the interview

You may get an interviewer who gives you the
opportunity to ask if there's anything about the
job you've applied for you're not sure about. If
not, be ready to ask your own questions- such
as:
 The job advert mentioned possibilities for
advancement. Could you tell me a little
 more about that?

Learning English - Quiznet

Today's topic: Working English quiz - being interviewed More Quizzes >>

1: Preparing for an interview means

memorising an exact set of answers.

putting all possible answers in writing and reading out from
your notes during the interview.
thinking about and planning how you are going to answer all
the questions you might be asked.
making friends with each member of the interview board.

2: Which of these would you NOT do as you prepare for an interview?

Find out about the company.

Find out about the job.
Think about and plan your answers.
Do nothing, hoping to impress the interview board with your
spontaneous answers.

3: Which type of questions aim to test out information written on your application form?

human questions
factual questions
open questions
closed questions

4: Which type of questions require a YES or NO answer?

human questions
factual questions
open questions
closed questions
 5: What do you do if you're faced with an interviewer who isn't very good?

You need to take control.

You do nothing.
You leave the interview early.
You tell the interviewer they are not very good.

6: Which of these would you NOT do at the end of an interview?

Show how much you're interested in the company.

Ask questions for the sake of it.
Find out if the job is really as interesting as it seems.
Ask questions to clarify anything you're not sure about.

Learning English

Non verbal communication

Reason:
Be honest! We A lot of judgements are made about
all draw people from visual impressions, and
conclusions
how they say things instead of what
about someone
just from what they say. And once a judgement's
they look been made, it's difficult to reverse
like..... it.

Objective:
To make a judgement about us
based on non-verbal
communication a positive one.

Awareness
The key is understanding what
people base judgements on. It
really doesn't matter whether
they're right or wrong - if their
judgement is negative, you don't
get the job.
^^Back up

The body

Some people say that it's possible

to ‘read' a body - that every small
movement has a meaning, that will
tell you something about a person's
personality and mood. Even if that's
true, though, some of the
‘language' changes from culture to
culture - and in any case you're not
likely to be interviewed by someone
with such detailed knowledge.

Much more important, in a situation

like an interview, is the possibility
of someone seeing movements of
yours caused by nervousness and
thinking they have another
meaning. For example, a person
who doesn't make eye contact is
often regarded as having something
to hide. Someone sitting back in a
chair gives the impression of not
being very interested. (Next time
you're in a long discussion, look at
the way someone who's bored leans
back into their seat.)

The solution is not to make nervous

movements - easy to say, of
course, but the point is to be
sufficiently prepared for an occasion
like an interview that your body
language is natural.
TIP WARNING TIP

Appearance
This can be a tricky area. From your
point of view, your clothes might
just be what you feel comfortable
in. To someone else, they may
seem to be making a deliberate
‘statement', such as "I dress to be
comfortable, not smart". Again, it
really doesn't matter who's right.
What's important is the impression
that's given.

Unless you know otherwise, it's

safest to assume that in a business
environment clothes should be
formal - whatever ‘formal' means in
a particular culture (and in a
particular type of climate, especially
where it's hot and humid).

At a first meeting - such as an

interview - most business people
are likely to think of your
appearance in terms of words like
‘tidy', ‘clean' and ‘unobtrusive'.
They may add ‘smart' or ‘business-
like', depending on the job you're
applying for, and also the industry
it's in.

For example, if the job would mean

dealing face-to-face with
customers, a company will have
standards of appearance. Even if
they provide uniform, they rely on
employees to look after the rest of
themselves.

If in doubt, ask what's expected

before you arrive for an interview,
rather than guess.
TIP

^^Back up

Voice
 Anyone listening to you, either
Don't just think
face-to-face or on the telephone, is
about the job,
think about the interested most in what's being
advert. said, and then in the words and
expressions used - can you express
yourself clearly? is there a lot of
slang in what you say? and so on.
But the way we say things is also
bound to be noticed. Being quiet is
taken to mean lacking confidence,
being loud the opposite. Speaking
fast, especially if you have a strong
accent, can make you difficult to
understand. Put yourself in the
other person's place: if you were
hearing your voice for the first
time, would you seem too soft, too
loud or too fast?
TIP TIP

The body
It's certainly not a case of acting - you'll probably
end up more nervous if you try to do that. You
simply want to avoid the sort of body
movements that can be misunderstood, or those
- such as fiddling with a ring, or a shirt button -
that simply say you're nervous.

The body
In some businesses, social skills are regarded as
important. Then the selection process will often
include a meal or a drink after a meeting. Partly
this is to see if anything interesting is said -
when someone is relaxed, they may say more
than in a formal interview for which they've
prepared carefully. But it's also partly to see
informal behaviour - because it's easier to
control body language in an interview than it is in
a social context. So remember that it's still a
business situation. Relax - but not too much!

The body
If you naturally move your hands a lot, or think
you might when you're a bit nervous, don't wear
anything like a bracelet that will make a noise
with every movement, or distract someone
sitting opposite you.
Appearance
If you get the level of formality wrong, it's easier
to become more relaxed than to be more formal.
If you're wearing a tie, you can always take it off
and undo the top button of your shirt. But you
can't put on a tie if you don't have one, or you're
wearing a T-shirt.

Voice
When you're on the telephone, and the person at
the other end has nothing except your voice, you
need to talk the same way you do when you're
face-to-face - that is, with hand movements. All
of us move our hands in ways that makes the
voice emphasise some of the words we're saying.
Someone listening on the phone may not see the
hands - but they'll hear the results of them.

Voice
If you've ever thought someone at the other end
of the phone sounded friendly, chances are they
were smiling. You can give the same impression
by doing the same thing. It doesn't matter if the
smile looks forced - nobody can see it....